Morning Lotus (1997)

25w x 38h (in)

"Morning Lotu"s honors those rare, luminous moments in which our own process of becoming is clear to us. Or, as Sylvester said, “when we witness the glory of our own being.” The lotus, which blossoms for about 4 days every year, is revered across spiritual traditions for guiding us to see “cause” and “effect” as two sides of the same coin. For Sylvester, it represents everyone’s capacity to evade what they consider inevitable - to overcome their life’s conditions. His flower opens to reveal a Black woman, poised, basking in her own light. We might understand the painting as a celebration of this woman’s perspective. Knowing that the model was the artist’s wife, we might also see the painting as a celebration of her arrival into Sylvester’s life - a moment which, perhaps, the artist considered rare and glorious. Sometimes change is overwhelming, as when the universe opens itself to deliver a loved one into your life.